Nicolas Anelka accepts that he may find himself confined to the bench again when Chelsea face Stoke tomorrow.

Like Didier Drogba, the French striker came on as a late substitute during Chelsea's last game against Manchester City as Carlo Ancelotti preferred Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou upfront.

"It is part of the game," he said. "We know now, we have a different tactic with two up front. We are four, Drogba, Torres, Kalou and me, so we can swap and we know that even if we have a good game we may not play the next game. It is frustrating when you are 20 years old, when you are 32, not anymore. You have the experience to understand."